I think I know what my answer would be to this question: learn how to cook, at least a little bit.
It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but everyone should know at least the basics of cooking and how to make a few easy, cheap things at home so they don’t always have to order out.
It saves a lot of money and you’ll get better at it as time goes by.
But enough about me…
Here are the skills that AskReddit users believe everyone should learn.
1. Don’t get scammed.
“Learn to identify scam messages:
No, your computer is not infected with flashing multicolor ViRuSeS.
No, hot singles are not waiting to meet you.
No, you didn’t win a contest you didn’t enter.
No, Nigerian Princes are not sharing their fortunes.
No, the IRS is not calling you to ask for your personal info or for gift cards.”
2. I wish I knew how to do this.
“Sewing.
It’s extremely useful.
You can make/ patch up your own clothes, learn to tie different knots, etc. My mother owns an online embroidery business so one of the first things she started to teach me was how to sew.”
3. See what I’m talking about?
“Cooking.
My dad would cook every day for us growing up.
I have fond memories as a kid standing by the stove watching him whip up amazing home cooked meals for us. Knowing how to cook full meals as a teenager impressed a lot of girls and their parents. Knowing how to cook good food as an adult provides me with a really high quality of health.
Healthy cooking is something everyone needs to know how to do!”
4. Self-defense.
“How to fight.
Not only would it prevent you from being bullied, but it will prevent you from being a bully.
People vastly underestimate how regular fight training – jiu jitsu, boxing, wrestling, and Muay Thai – makes actual physical confrontations relatively distasteful. (Side benefit – getting your ass kicked is a healthy dose of humility that every human should experience at least once.)”
5. Different points of view.
“How to see things differently.
So many people especially here on reddit are so caught up in their own views or opinions that they only think how to prove their own views correct, and absolutely refuse to try and view things from a different perspective because they want to be right.
Mention anything here on reddit regarding Trump in a non-critical point of view and you will get hammered by downvotes for simply mentioning the orange man in a positive light.
Speaking of which the upvote/downvote system doesnt help this either as it will just domino because of peoples self confirmation/confirmation bias as soon as they see 0 or negative points beside a post or comment.
Being able to actually sit down with someone you disagree with and have a respectable discussion rather than an argument is what actually makes changes happen.
Some people still dont get that getting angry or demonizing someone for their views on a subject only pushes them further into where their opinion lies rather than pulling them away from it, after all if you are demonizing them for having different views than your own, why would they want to join sides with you?”
6. Learn how to write.
“Writing is so important, especially when you get into the working world.
I find a lot of my training of new workers (customer service) is just getting them to write an acceptable professional email.
So many tasks revolve around clear written communication.”
7. Ask questions.
“Critical thinking. Your brain is biased and trying to trick you. Question it always.
Also, typing.”
8. Give it a shot.
“Meditation.
A very simple thing but will change your whole life for good. Just 5 min with you and your thoughts in a quiet place with simple but deep breathings.
Did this for 5 min a day for a month and boom, no depression no loneliness.”
9. Teach your kids.
“I grew up really poor and there were so many things I didn’t learn.
Teach your child about taxes, car tags/insurance/maintenance/liability, how and when to use credit, shopping garage sales/goodwill, never spend more than you make.
Create a savings! What is that? I never was taught.
Saving, saving, saving!
Create a checking and retirement account, not tied to your employment. How to vote, following news and learning bias. That healthy eating is not expensive and learn about how to treat your body. Free clinics or reduced ones and cheap membership so you can shower, etc. if homeless.
Oh, and take care of your teeth the best you can! Amazing what just brushing and flossing can do.”
10. Learn how to do it.
“Learn how to drive a manual transmission.
If you ever plan to visit Europe and drive around yourself, then a manual transmission is the best choice. If you do opt to drive an automatic transmission, then it’s probably going to be a pain in the ass to find one. I’m sure the rental fee would be way higher than a manual aswell.
Typically, manuals also have a better mpg than standard automatic vehicles. So it’s nice to save some money.”
11. Manage your time.
“Time management.
I live by my planner but I still leave room for flexibility. Most of the time I come across people who either are way too rigid or have no sense of responsibility with keeping a schedule at all. Too often people wait until the last second and I just can’t imagine how someone does that multiple times and not lose their mind.
Learn to multitask, prioritize and be conscientious and adulting is less intimidating.”
12. All good things to know.
“how to have compassion for other people’s struggles
how to observe situations without being judgmental
how to have respect for yourself and value yourself as an individual
how to be kind to others
how to communicate by actively listening as well as speaking
how to admit when you’re wrong and learn from your mistakes
how to plan for the future but live in the moment.”
13. Put the time in.
“Kind of tough, but a second language.
Really helps out, especially for job applications.”
14. How many can you do?
“How to change a tire, balance a check book, cook, self defense, basic computer skills, how to drive a stick.”
Now it’s time for you to speak up.
In the comments, tell us what you think everyone should know how to do.
Please and thank you!
